In the American Public School system, education is primarily compromised of students physically attending their school and learning from teachers in person. However, with the rise of technology and the internet in the 21st century, students at most public schools are able to participate in learning both online and via video conferences, allowing them to effectively be educated from home. Distance learning in this way permits students to work on school subjects, even when away due being ill in some manner, and allows students with mental health disorders unable to attend classes the opportunity to achieve the same as someone attending school physically. Additionally, students working a job outside of school to support their family/self now have the opportunity to attend school from home/work and still be able to provide financial support to dependents/themselves. In short, distance learning is beneficial to students in public schools for students missing school due to sickness, mental health issues, and careers clashing with school scheduling.

The first and likely most prominent way in which students benefit from distance learning is the case in which they miss school for an extended period of time due to illness. Distance learning allows these absent students to still work on school subjects and stay on top of their work, while also reducing the risk of other students receiving the same illness due to the student continuing to attend school. Students attending school while still sick is a prominent issue in public schooling, caused by the lack of support for students unable to attend school. This issue would be eliminated due to the reduced need for sick students to continue attending school due to distance learning allowing students to stay at home while continuing to work on school subjects.

Another benefit for students from distance learning is the ability for mentally ill students unable to attend school due to disorders such as social anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and depression to continue learning outside of an environment detrimental to their mental health. Speaking from personal experience with family members and friends with mental disorders, public schools can often be a breeding ground for self doubt, anxiety, and general depression to occur for mentally unstable people, regardless of counseling opportunities available. Working on school subjects would allow for mentally unstable students to pursue their education, while also allowing them to maintain a healthy mindset in the comfort of their own home away from mentally unhealthy stimuli.

A final example of the benefits of distance schooling for public school students would be the opportunity for students working job/s outside of school to simultaneously pursue an education and support themselves or their dependents. Many lower class students or students with parents unable to work feel the need to obtain jobs outside of school, ranging from part-time summer jobs to full-time year-round jobs that inhibit the ability to pursue an education. Distance learning allows these students to do both at the same time if they have the desire to do so, instead of having to go to a program such as night school in order to catch up on work they usually do not have time to do. Distance learning essentially unlocks the ability for students working outside of school to continue to pursue academics while also maintaining financial balance for themselves or others.

To sum up, the opportunities for students with work hours interfering with school, mental health disorders or various illnesses are all benefits for the usage of distance learning within the American school system. Although some find distance learning to only further complicate the process of education for students due to some not having reliable access to WiFi or internet, different accommodations are usually available locally for students to use distance learning as a tool to further their education. Distance learning serves as a universal golden opportunity for students unable to attend school to continue to receive and education regardless of outside circumstances.